Elena Ong, the National Coordinator of “The Gift of Hope,” brings us this message, urging everyone to conduct a bone marrow donation drive at your next APA community event. If you register your “1,000 Cranes for Hope” drive at www.usaservice.org by March 1, 2009, your group might even get a chance to get a phone call from Yul Kwon, Cook Islands Survivor. Please read on for more details.

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HOPE Comes to Asian Pacific America:  Join “A Thousand Cranes for Hope” this APA Heritage Month

Dear Friends,

A huge, huge mahalo to everyone for being part of the National Day of Service Project, “The Gift of HOPE!”   

The Gift of Hope’s Washington, D.C. event, and national tie-in, would not have been possible without the leadership of Vida Benevides, ED of APIAVote and President Obama’s AAPI team!

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THE GIFT OF HOPE: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service

January 19, 2009 was the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service, and on this day, Americans, throughout America, and Americans who came to Washington D.C. for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, heeded President Barack Obama’s call for national public service.

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Every time our nation has faced crisis, our national experience has shown Americans rise to the challenge. While government has an important role to play in helping rekindle our economy and addressing the problems our country faces, President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, has a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. The United States is once again at a crossroads and that is why the President-elect hopes to use the occasion of his Inauguration to rally our nation to commit to service in our communities.

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Asian Americans for Obama is joining with President-elect Obama in making this call to service to our activists and every American across the country to reignite the nation’s spirit of volunteerism and community service. This new effort, Renew America Together, is not just about stepping up to serve for a single day, but rather to make a continued commitment to serving our communities throughout the year. Together, with our next President, we are asking that you and your family, friends and neighbors sign-up to volunteer on January, 19, 2009 right now.

To get active in your community, please visit:

www.USAService.org

This new, interactive website enables Americans in every state in the nation to find a volunteer opportunity in their neighborhood, or to create and host an event on their own. Please click on the link above and sign-up to volunteer today. Together, we can begin to Renew America.

As a part of the President Elect’s Renew America Together campaign — the nationwide effort to foster a new dedication to volunteerism and community service on MLK Day and throughout the year — the Obama team is teaming up with YouTube to sponsor a video competition.

The goal: For individuals and organizations to create a three-minute or less YouTube video designed to tell the story of what they plan to do on MLK Day. The videos could be dramatic, heartfelt, comical, or narrative — whatever best captures the spirit of the Renewing America Together campaign.

Individuals or organizations who want to submit a video should follow the step-by-step “how to post a YouTube video” instructions below the fold. All submissions should be posted to the Renewing America Together channel no later than January 14th, 2009. Three winners will be selected. The winning videos will be posted on www.USAService.org, and the creator of the single best video will get a personal phone call from First Lady Michelle Obama.

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